global leadership Archives

“G20 Declaration Shows India’s Great Ability To Be Champion Of Multilateralism”: Amitabh Kant

Mr Kant said the green development pact, which is a key part of the declaration, presents a great opportunity for the Indian automotive and components sector to become the global leader in electric and sustainable mobility.

The G20 Sherpa termed the New Delhi Declaration “very inclusive and very ambitious”.

New Delhi: The New Delhi G20 declaration adopted by leaders has demonstrated India’s great ability to be a champion of multilateralism and bring the world together on global developmental issues and conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine crisis, India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Wednesday.
The green development pact, a key part of the declaration, offers a great opportunity for the Indian automotive and components sector to become the global leader in electric and sustainable mobility, he said asking the industry to go all-electric while speaking here at the annual convention of Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA).

“The New Delhi leaders’ declaration that has come out is very, very inclusive, very ambitious. It has 83 paras in all. This is the first time that all 83 paras have 100 per cent consensus,” Mr Kant asserted.

In the declaration, there is no ‘reservation, brackets and chair’s summary’, he said adding all the 83 paras, including the eight paras on the Russia-Ukraine crisis, have been done by consensus, he added.

“This has demonstrated India’s great ability, firstly, to be a champion of multilateralism, and its great ability to bring developing countries, all emerging markets, the developed world, all the G7, Russia, China all together and bring consensus on all developmental issues, as well as on issues of global conflict, which is the Russia-Ukraine crisis,” Mr Kant noted.

The declaration has a huge focus on climate action, climate finance, and at the heart of it is a green development pact, which has a major implication for the automobile sector, he added.

“I’ve just negotiated the G20 document and let me tell you, the green development pact has a huge component, the entire negotiation was about cutting down emissions by 43 per cent by 2030…and there will be increasing pressure from all over the world on India and other Middle East countries to cut down emissions,” Mr Kant noted.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/g20-declaration-shows-indias-great-ability-to-be-champion-of-multilateralism-amitabh-kant-4385239

G20 Summit: ‘I’m the perfect example of Made in India,’ says World Bank chief Ajay Banga

‘Grew up in India, studied in Indian institutes, haven’t done a single course abroad. 50% of success in life is luck. The rest is your hard work and the ability to capitalise on opportunity,’ says Banga

The World Bank Chief also expressed his dissatisfaction with the Washington-dominated world’

Ajay Banga, the current president of World Bank, told India Today that he’s “the perfect example of Made in India”.

In an interview with India Today News Director, Rahul Kanwal, Banga said that he grew up in India, studied in Indian institutes and hasn’t done a single course abroad.

“Fifty per cent of success in life is luck, the rest is your hard work and the ability to capitalise on opportunity,” he added.

Reforming Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) has been one of the key agenda points of India’s G20 Presidency and Banga is the man entrusted by US President Joe Biden to adapt the World Bank to be able to deal with China’s growing challenge to the old Washington-led global financial order.

During the conversation, the World Bank Chief also expressed his dissatisfaction with the “Washington-dominated world”.

“Fifty-five per cent of World Bank employees are outside of the US,” Banga said.

Speaking on his mission to reform the World Bank, Banga told India Today, “In the past three months, I’ve met several leaders and finance ministers from scores of countries, which gave me a clear perspective.”

“The roadmap for the evolution of the World Bank is to get a new vision and mission and to make it inclusive,” Banga said.

Clarity of vision, simplicity of speaking, management and measurement of what you want to achieve, and simple scorecards are all important steps that need to be taken for a successful transition, Banga said on the steps needed for the transition, in terms of what still needs to be achieved.

On geopolitics and China, Banga said, “The challenges of the world are very plentiful and the kind of financial energy required is much more than how much just one institution should want to dominate on,” he said.

“Yes, there is geopolitics and I do not deny it, but China is a shareholder and it does not take much money from us any longer,” the World Bank chief said, adding, “There’s a lot for the World Bank to work on (in climate change and healthcare), which can keep us occupied for the years to come.”

“I met US President Joe Biden and he was very clear about the leveragability of the resources of the bank. The US contribution enhances our earning capacity,” Banga said about Washington arranging more funds for the World Bank.

Source: https://www.businesstoday.in/g20-summit/story/g20-summit-im-the-perfect-example-of-made-in-india-says-world-bank-chief-ajay-banga-397789-2023-09-10

Xi’s skipping of G20 Summit may have more to do with China than with India

Chinese President Xi Jinping is giving a miss to G20 Summit in New Delhi. But if experts are to be believed, it might have more to do with Xi’s economic and political problems at home than China’s friction with India.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has recently been reprimanded by Communist Party elders over his policy decisions. (Image: AFP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping was born in the lap of luxury but, as his father was purged during China’s Cultural Revolution, a young Xi had to toil in the farms as a manual labourer in the countryside for 6 years. Those struggles would be nothing compared to the task the all-supreme leader now faces.

Xi is skipping the G20 Summit in New Delhi and experts have failed to pin-point the one big reason why China is sending Premier Li Qiang instead.

It is true that China’s relationship with India has been mostly frosty since the border clashes in May 2020. And it is also possible that the Chinese government decided to send Premier Li Qiang instead of President Xi to send out a signal. But the Chinese government has maintained that it was ready to work with all the parties for the global event’s success in New Delhi this week.

Also, Xi might not want to share the stage with the “tough crowd” at the G20. Many G20 member countries have “hardened their positions on China” in the last decade, said Paul Haenle, director of think-tank Carnegie China, adding, “It’s a tough crowd for Xi”.

What experts are also hinting at is that Xi Jinping’s skipping the India-hosted G20 event could be due to the mounting troubles in China itself. So, is Xi staying back home where the real trouble is?

Given Xi’s focus on domestic issues, he might be unwilling to travel abroad, Alfred Wu, said associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

“Xi Jinping is setting his own agenda where his top concern is national security and he has to stay in China and make foreign leaders visit him instead,” Wu told Reuters.

Wu says the over-emphasis on security is hurting China’s diplomatic ties and the attempt to rejuvenate its economy. China’s economy is in bad shape, and it is among Xi’s biggest headaches.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/nation/story/xi-jinping-g20-summit-delhi-not-attending-due-to-political-china-economy-political-troubles-military-purge-2432412-2023-09-07

Lights On, Security In Place: Delhi Ready To Welcome World At G20 Summit

Tight traffic regulations came into effect in the national capital from 5 am today and will continue till 11.59 pm on Sunday.

Stringent traffic curbs, schools shut, fighter jets for security, murals all across the town – New Delhi has pulled out all the stops to ensure a smooth G20 Summit on September 9 and 10.

Here are 10 points about the big story:

Tight traffic regulations came into effect in the national capital from 5 am today and will continue till 11.59 pm on Sunday. Police have said that ambulances, medicines and those working in other essential services will be allowed to move freely.
Vehicles of locals and tourists will also be permitted to move, but only in the area that they are staying in. Authorities have urged people not to visit India Gate and Kartavya Path for walking, cycling, or picnicking.
Schools, banks, and all government offices will remain shut to ease traffic. Borders to neighboring states will also be sealed.
Over 100,000 police and security personnel are expected to patrol the streets, with fighter jets, advanced AI-based cameras, jamming devices, and sniffer dogs at their disposal.
The Delhi Police will also keep a close watch on developments during the summit from its state-of-the-art control room with the help of a network of 5,000 CCTV cameras installed across the city, officials said.
The Summit will be attended by leaders from the Group of 20 (G20) major economies and will witness discussions on some of the world’s most pressing problems like climate change and poverty.
US President Joe Biden will arrive in New Delhi today and will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the Summit.
Prominent issues that could feature during the meeting could be Ukraine, critical and emerging technology, and some of the deals that were announced like that of the drones with General Atomics and jet engines with General Electric.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/g20-summit-traffic-curbs-fighter-jets-schools-shut-delhi-all-set-for-g20-summit-4369987

Leaving none behind is India’s G20 legacy, PM Modi writes

India’s presidency strives to bridge divides, break barriers, and sow seeds of collaboration in a world where unity prevails over discord, wrote PM Modi.

Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — these two words capture a deep philosophy. It means the world is one family. This is an all-embracing outlook that encourages us to progress as one universal family, transcending borders, languages, and ideologies. During India’s G20 presidency, this translated into a call for human-centric progress. As One Earth, we came together to nurture our planet. As One Family, we support each other in the pursuit of growth. And we move together towards a shared future — One Future — which is an undeniable truth in these interconnected times.

The post-pandemic world order is very different from the one before it. There are three important changes, among others. First, there is a growing realisation that a shift away from a GDP-centric view of the world to a human-centric view is needed. Second, the world is recognising the importance of resilience and reliability in global supply chains. Third, there is a collective call for boosting multilateralism through the reform of global institutions. Our G20 presidency has played the role of a catalyst in these shifts.

In December 2022, when we took over the presidency from Indonesia, I wrote that a mindset shift must be catalysed by the G20. This was especially needed in the context of mainstreaming the marginalised aspirations of developing countries, the Global South and Africa.

The Voice of Global South Summit, which witnessed participation from 125 countries, was one of the foremost initiatives under our presidency. It was an important exercise to gather inputs and ideas from the Global South.

Further, our presidency has not only seen the largest ever participation from African countries but also pushed for the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20.

An interconnected world means our challenges across domains are interlinked. This is the midway year of the 2030 Agenda, and many are noting with great concern that the progress on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) is off-track. The G20 2023 Action Plan on Accelerating Progress on SDGs will spearhead the future direction of the G20 towards implementing SDGs.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/pm-narendra-modi-writes-leaving-none-behind-is-india-s-g20-legacy-101694052664148.html

Biden says he’s disappointed that Xi will not attend G20 summit

U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping as they meet on the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ summit in Bali, Indonesia, November 14, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Sunday that he was disappointed that Chinese President Xi Jinping was not attending the summit of G20 leaders in India, but added that he was going to “get to see him.”

“I am disappointed … but I am going to get to see him,” Biden told reporters in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, without elaborating.

Biden will visit India from Sept. 7-10 for a summit of the Group of 20 nations, followed by a trip to Vietnam as his administration seeks to strengthen U.S. relations in Asia.

Xi is likely to skip the summit and Chinese Premier Li Qiang is expected to represent Beijing at the meeting in New Delhi, sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters.

Asked if he was looking forward to his trip, Biden said, “Yes, I am.”

“I want a little more … coordination. I think they both (India and Vietnam) want much closer relations with the United States and that can be very helpful,” Biden said.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-says-disappointed-chinas-xi-will-not-attend-g20-summit-2023-09-03/